Some West Alabamians Healthcare Cost Doubled At Midnight
That noise you heard at midnight was not all in celebration of the new year, much of it was cries of anguish from more that 20 million Americans, including at least 200,000 West Alabama residents. They had just seen their health insurance costs soar as enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act put in place during the pandemic expired. Health insurance premiums had just doubled or even tripled for them, pricing many out of healthcare coverage entirely.
Congress is on recess until January 6th, with Republicans leaving Washington early for a two-week holiday break without voting to extend the ACA, or Obamacare, tax benefits. Divisions over the issue were at the heart of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history earlier this year, with Democrats insisting on continuing the subsidies. Those divisions may well result in another shutdown at the end of the month.
The Democrat Side
West Alabama Democrat Congresswoman Terri Sewell continues to blast Republicans for what she sees as callousness toward their constituents. “Republicans in Congress have had every opportunity to extend the ACA tax credits and prevent millions of Americans from seeing their health care costs double. Instead, Republicans chose to rush through a last-minute proposal before skipping town for the holidays that does nothing to address the crisis they caused. Not only does their bill fail to extend the tax credits, but it also pushes thousands of Americans into junk health care plans that cost more and cover less"
Sewell says 130,000 residents in her sixth congressional district alone are about to lose their health insurance, "...as a direct result of Republican incompetence." She says many now find themselves one diagnosis away from bankruptcy.
With the midnight deadline to extend the subsidies past, almost a half million Alabamians who rely on the ACA tax credits to afford their monthly health insurance premiums will pay extremely high premiums or loss the health coverage all together.
The Republican Side
Before leaving D.C. house Republicans passed a GOP health care bill with conservative priorities that did not renew the assistance.
Alabama’s House Republicans, meanwhile, have rallied behind a bill led by U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, entitled the Lower Healthcare Premiums for All Americans Act, which does not provide an extension to ACA subsidies.
The bill instead includes funds to pay for “cost-sharing reductions,” reforms to the pharmacy benefit manager industry and an expansion of association healthcare plans—plans that allow small businesses and self-employed individuals to pool resources by joining an association to receive health insurance.
GOP congressional members believe the act will eventually lower premiums. “By passing the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, we are making life more affordable for all Americans by bringing down premiums, expanding coverage, and giving workers and families more choices,” West Alabama Republican Congressman Robert Aderholt wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Alabama has one of the highest rates of ACA enrollment in the nation.
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